Paths Crossed
by CrimeShowFanatic
Summary: It's been two years since Ziva left. Since then, Tony hasn't been himself. What will he do when he finds out she's in New York living with the one and only Richard Castle. Little does he know she has a surprise for him... Please read and review! [If you want, if not.. Honestly, IDGAF (such foul language) Please seriously though, I hope you like it!]
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: A crossover with NCIS and Castle. Time is twisted in this story so let's pretend Castle and Beckett got married a couple of weeks before Ziva left. Not sure if should continue so let me know of what you guys think! [This is my first FanFic. Can you tell? Probably] You should leave a review, though, for me!  
Also, I do not own Castle, nor NCIS. JSYK**

* * *

It's been exactly 2 years since Ziva's been gone. Tony kept count. Exactly 730 days since she didn't come back to Washington with him. Exactly 104 weeks since he had his heart-broken by this beautiful, exotic, Israeli woman. It's been 24 months, and he remembers the night perfectly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**FLASHBACK**

"_Tony you are so-" Ziva started_

"_Handsome? Funny?" Tony interrupts_

"_Loved," she finished_

_And with that they shared a passionate, bittersweet kiss. Once it was over, Tony remarked, "This is not easy, one of the hardest 180s of my life."_

_That was when Tony boarded the plane_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Meanwhile in New York_

Beckett heard the patter of small feet outside her door. Luckily, with much persuasion, Castle convinced her to child proof the loft. At one and a half years old, Elizabeth Castle was an avid walker.. No not a walker, but a _runner. _She was like Rick in so many ways, she was an explorer and _never _listened to Kate. She was a daddy's girl, he had her wrapped around her tiny finger. She was like Kate in many ways too, strong-minded and thick-headed.

Beckett smiled to herself. Life has been good for her. Two years ago, her and Castle had this beautiful spring wedding ceremony. All their family and friends had attended, it was on their honeymoon in Paris, France when Kate found herself pregnant. Castle was beyond ecstatic and begun making preparations for a nursery while they were still in Paris! Gates, however, was less than pleased. She didn't want her top detective to be on leave for such a long time. Beckett smiled to herself, Gates now loves Elizabeth as her own daughter. Elizabeth is not only spoiled by her father, but everyone else at the precinct, she is that lovable. Today was Kate's official first day back at work. Professionally, she is still known as Detective Kate Beckett. She felt Castle stir next to her.

"Looks like the young grasshopper is awake" Castle groaned as he got out bed and opened the bedroom door.

"Momma, momma!" Elizabeth exclaimed as she tumbled into the bedroom.

"Good morning Liz. Are you ready to spend the day with Daddy?"

"Yes!Yes!Yes!Yes!"

"Do you promise you'll be a good girl for Daddy?"

"Uh huh"

"Okay. I'm going to get dressed and I'll meet you and Daddy downstairs for breakfast. How does that sound?"

"Good, Momma!"

Liz, and Castle exited the room and headed downstairs to the kitchen to make some pancakes as Beckett got dressed. When she went downstairs, she braced herself for the mess that was waiting for her arrival in the kitchen. Flour was everywhere! All over their clothes, the floor, and the counter tops were covered in the white dust. Beckett sighed and told Castle that he was going to clean this mess up, including himself, and Liz. She grabbed a pancake, said goodbye to Elizabeth and headed off to work.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The work day was uneventful. Beckett was stuck behind her desk doing paperwork until she passed her Psych Exam and got her gun back. When she got home, she found Rick on the phone speaking rapidly in language she thought to be...Hebrew?

"Shalom" Castle said, ending the conversation when he saw her.

"Since when do you speak Hebrew?" Kate asked curiously

"Oh, since college. I went to Israel to research my first novel. I stayed for a year and learned the language pretty quick. I even met some interesting people." He explained. Beckett didn't look so convinced. She read all of his books, none of them took place in Israel.

_Why is he lying to me? _She thought

That night, after Liz was put to sleep, they cuddled on the couch with wine and a movie playing on the TV. Neither of their minds were on the TV however, they were thinking far off thoughts. "Kate can I ask you a question?" Castle asked.

"You already did," she replied, "but continue."

"Well I have this friend from Israel that's in trouble. She was thinking about leaving and coming to America to keep her daughter away from the danger. I was wondering if they could stay here until she gets her feet on the ground? Her daughter is Liz's age and they could stay in the same room, or they could stay in the guest room. I told her I had to talk with you and we'll see about it. What do you think, Kate?" Castle watched her expression throughout his story and tried to guess what she was thinking.

After a couple of minutes Kate said, "Of course, Castle we'll do anything to help your friend. I have one question, however. Who is she?"

Castle looked at his hands guiltily, if he told her she'd probably flip out in her usual Beckett way.

"Castle, who is it?" she pressed.

Quietly he said, "Ziva David."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: This is the second chapter. I don't know if it's that great but I'd love to hear about what you think! This might be the last chapter for a long time because I want to finish the whole story before publishing it.  
Ta ta, lovelies**

Kate gasped. "Ziva David? Do you mean Tony's Ziva? The one that left him?"

Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo is a very close childhood friend of Kate's. She considered him a brother. He was there to comfort her when her mother had been murdered, probably because he knew what she was going through and she was there for him when his mother died in the hospital.. They had tried going out, but found out that if they did, their friendship would've been be ruined. He moved to Washington DC right after their high school graduation. They still kept in touch. After a series of transfers in various city police departments, he applied for a job at NCIS.

That's where he met Agent Gibbs. Kate liked Gibbs, he was the father that Tony deserved. Anthony DiNozzo Sr. had barely acknowledged him and began to drown himself in alcohol. Gibbs, was different. When Kate had first met him, she noticed suppressed pain in his eyes. She recognized that look, she still has it, 15 years after her mother's death. Gibbs made his team follow a set of rules, Kate respected that and occasionally enforced them with her own team, including Castle.

Then, Kate met the other Kate. Caitlin Todd, former Secret Service, was a perfect addition to the team. These two bonded quickly. They always loved to talk about DiNozzo. Beckett loved to share embarrassing stories of when they were young. Beckett also taught Kate how to deal with him, and his antics. Kate really shone through for Beckett when Tony got sick. Kate stuck to him like glue and Beckett felt great knowing that Kate loved Tony as much as she did, maybe even more. Like everyone, the detective was devastated when she found out about Agent Todd's death. Kate even offered her services to the team but when they refused, she knew it wasn't personal.

Agent Timothy McGee was the brother Tony never had. He was the computer geek and had Tony a great time teasing him to the full extent. Tony often gave him nicknames based off of his last name such as McGoo, McGeek, or McSmartyPants. Underneath all the jokes the boys had each others backs. Kate loved McGee. He reminded her so much of Ryan with the awkwardness they both had going on. McGee had met Castle once, at a writer's convention. Beckett had been with him and McGee had thought that Beckett was investigating a case and had asked if she needed any help. When he realized that she was Castle's date, he blushed a deep color of red and quietly excused himself.

Forensic scientist Abby Sciuto was the happiest goth you'll ever meet. Kate had so much respect for that woman, with all that she's gone through, and she still has to deal with the men on her team. Kate's respect grew when she worked so hard and diligent to clear Tony's name when he was framed for murder. This woman was fiercely loyal to her team and Beckett was glad to call her a friend.

Medical examiner Donald "Ducky" Mallard was an interesting man. Originally from Scotland, this medical examiner was never devoid of the stories he had to tell. At first, Beckett doubted these were true. However, once she got to know him she completely believed all of them. Ducky was always there for advice. If Beckett couldn't talk to her own medical examiner, she'd call him, no matter what time it was in DC he always picked up. She was went to him if her case was having trouble and Lanie needed a fresh set of eyes.

When Ziva came along, she was the missing piece of the puzzle that no one knew was missing. When Kate first found out that her brother was the one that killed Agent Todd, she hated her. As time went on, Kate and Ziva began to bond. Ziva explained to Kate life in the Mossad and she also taught her valuable fighting skills. Kate went to her for advice involving Castle. Beckett comforted her when Ziva's father was murdered by Bodnar. She even understood her obsession of finding his killer. Kate also told her stories about Tony and seen them slowly fall in love. They were a lot like her and Castle. Ziva, and the rest of the team were invited to their wedding, almost two years ago. It was only a couple of weeks later when she left and broke Tony's heart.

Kate remembered when Tony called, she was on her honeymoon with Castle.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_The phone rang._

"_Mmm. Don't answer it." Castle said sleepily._

_Kate smiled, "I have to, it could be important." _

"_Beckett" she answered automatically_

"_Kate? It's Tony" the voice on the other end said._

"_Tony? Is everything okay?" Kate was worried. Tony would call her unless something big happened._

"_No. It's Ziva. She didn't come back."_

_Kate knew about Tony's trip to Israel and that they had kept in touch after they resigned._

"_What do you mean? You're telling me you left without her? How could you DiNozzo?! You're smarter than that." Kate begun to yell, fully waking Castle up. He left the room giving Kate some privacy._

"_I know. I couldn't do anything about it. She just kissed me and left." Tony sounded so sad. Not to be cliched but he fell hard._

"_Tony, I'm coming back. You can't be alone in a state like this. I'll tell Castle to make the plane reservations earlier than expected. We're leaving a couple-"_

_She was interrupted by Tony, "NO! I will not stay home all day sulking and making you stay with my. It's your honeymoon for Christ's sake, go ahead and enjoy it. Work will keep my mind off her."_

"_Okay, Tony. Just be careful okay?"_

"_Yes, Mom" Kate smiled, she be a little over protective when it came to her best friend._

"_I guess I have to buy another goldfish." Tony mumbled it so Kate wouldn't hear, but she did and she felt her heart break for him. _

"_You'll get through this Tony, I promise."_

_And with that he hung up._

_When Kate heard the line disconnected, she ran to the bathroom._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"WHAT THE HELL CASTLE?!" Kate was yelling now. She stood up, spilling the red wine all over herself but she didn't care.

"Don't you know what she's done to Tony? With that information in mind, you expect me to make her a guest in my home?! What the hell am I supposed to tell him?" She begun to pace, running her hands through her hair.

"Why don't you just not tell him?" Castle suggested.

"Excuse me?" Kate was furious now, "How dare you say that to me, don't you know what Tony means to me? He's practically my brother for God's sake."

She sat down, thinking... thinking HARD. Kate was in a dilemma, she didn't know if she should let the woman who broke her best friend's heart come live with her family.

"She was your friend too you know." Castle said softly, wrapping his arms around her.

"Speaking of friends, how did you two meet? Also,why did you lie to me? I know you didn't go to Israel to research your first novel. I've read it, it had nothing to do the Israel." She left his embrace and stood up.

"Well you'd sit and calm down, maybe I'll tell you my story."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I'm sorry, I didn't want you guys to wait. So here is Chapter 3! This is actually pretty long for me. Yay! Um did you guys see the season finale of Castle?! That was intense, I cried so hard man...**  
**Onward!**

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"Okay, so it all started in college.." Castle began.

* * *

At that time, I didn't know about my father. However, it seemed like the Israelis knew about it. Apparently he had committed treason against their country and Mossad pursued him. They found out about me and tried to use me as leverage. They kidnapped my right in front of my dorm. I was a pretty built 18-year-old, so they, very sneakily, came behind me and sedated me. I woke up with a cloth bag over my head, I had no idea where I was. My hands and feet were tied to a metal chair, I was immobile. They came in, every day, for what felt like years. My captors proceeded to ask me questions about a man named Jack Taylor. I honestly had no idea who he was, when I told them that, they went on to beating me. Punch after punch, lash after lash, I kept thinking, "Why am I suffering because of this man?"

It was the same man every day. He'd come in with the men that I named The Army. One day the came in, it was probably two weeks after I was abducted, they spoke rapidly, as if they were deciding on what to do with me. Out of the conversation, I understood two thing words, David, and Ziva. I had no idea what "Ziva" meant. I figured it meant the prisoner. I also though that the man's named was David, so in my head that's what I would call him. David and his army.

A couple of days later, David came in, without his army. I was surprised, as I braced myself for that day's beating, he opened the door. The figure that came putt of the doorway was not what I had expected. It was a girl, about my age, maybe a couple of years younger. David looked at the both of us, smirked and left me with her. I guess she was their "secret weapon". By that time, I was so delirious, I though she was there to kill me. As it turns out, she was.

"I don't agree with this." That was the first thing she ever said to me. "Mossad has taught me to be a ruthless 'soldier', this is bad. Mossad is not behind this, this is my father's doing." She was rambling and pacing back and forth. She then remembered that she was not alone in the room. She turned and looked at me and smiled, "Could you be a moose and pretend like I'm physically hurting you?"

A moose? I think she meant 'dear'

I did as she asked, mostly grunting and whimpering my face was so swollen I could barely speak.

She continued to pace and mumble to herself. Then, she looked as if a light bulb turned on in her head. She opened the door and harshly spoke to the two 'soldiers' standing guard outside, after a couple of minutes she came back, smiling mischievously. "I have a plan"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Can you walk?" my mysterious savior had asked me.

I shook my head. I could barely breathe, let alone walk. She sighed and started to look at me, I guess because of my malnutrition, she thought she could probably carry me. And that was what she did. When I was out in the fresh air, I looked at the place where I was held captive, it was a little shack. It seemed so big to me from the inside. I had a gut feeling that I was no longer in New York.

She let go of me and she began to run, I tried following her as fast as I could but my legs felt like jelly and the world begun to spin. I felt her pull me into an alleyway and she shoved me through a door. Inside, it was dark and smelled like rotting fish. She turned the light on and introduced herself.

"My name is Ziva David," She pronounced David like Daveed. "I work for the Mossad, I know you have questions know but let me speak. It has come to light that your father planted a bomb near one of our government official's home." She paused, as to add effect. "Or, I thought it was your father, you see I report directly to my deputy director, who also happens to be my father. However, to me he is just a person of higher ranking. He told me that this Jack Taylor man was responsible for the bomb and the deaths of 12 civilians and 3 officers. He told me to find him, and kill him.. Of course this was off the books, and it wouldn't have been my first kill. There was something in his voice that made me suspicious. As I looked into it, it seemed as if there was no evidence pointing to your father. When I found out about you, I volunteered my specialty. Torture. I knew I needed to get to you before my father kills you. And it seems like I found you at the right time, too. My father he knows how to beat people without leaving any scars, except the mental ones. I had no idea I'd get this far, so I improvised."

As she was explaining my story, she begun to tend to my wounds. When I realized she was that man's daughter I pushed her away but she cautiously came back and started to finish. I had so many questions swimming through my head, I couldn't ask her because my face was too swollen. She told me a little more about herself.

"As you know, my name is Ziva David. I am 16 years old. I was recruited by the Mossad at the age of 12, I had undergone series of tests to prove I was worthy enough. I stood through hours of torture and fighting lessons until I was administered my Red Test. My objective, to kill a man and his wife whilst sleeping in bed. I did it with no question, their children were sound asleep in the next room. After that I became Mossad's muppet. I have an older half-brother, Ari. He's a kind man and he's studying to become a doctor. Actually I believe he is on his way here to tend to your wounds. Then, I have a beautiful eleven year old sister, Talia or Tali, as I like to call her. She is the sweetest most loving person I have ever met. Next year, she will be recruited by the Mossad, if she fails her tests, they will kill her with no regret. That's why I will fight for her, no matter what it takes."

As she was telling her story, I couldn't but admire this girl. She has been through so much and she has yet to become an adult. What have I done with my life? Party and sleep with strangers. I was in an infinite debt to her, I owed Ziva my life. Her English was perfect, except for her understanding of idioms and metaphors. Just then there was a pattern of knocks that sounded very similar to Morse Code. Ziva stood up, grabbed her gun and slowly opened the door, she visibly relaxed when she saw who it was. She opened the door wider to let the man come in. This stranger scrunched his nose at the scent but his face softened when his eyes landed on me. When he saw me a look of sympathy and pity was obviously showed on his face. I didn't want this man's sympathy, or pity, I sat up straighter and looked ahead, obviously too proud to care about what this guy thought of me, who did he think he was?

I didn't realize he had a medical bag with him until he placed it in front of me. That's when I realized, this was Ziva's brother, Ari. He was a doctor, and he was here to help me. He helped me stand up, then he continued to look at me. His face hardened when he saw my back, there were no cuts or scrapes just bruises.

"They will pay this, this is the last straw. How dare they hurt innocent people like this? They will learn, he will have a taste of his own medicine," Ari muttered under his breath. He? Who was he? Probably his father.

When he was done looking at me, he turned to Ziva. "Okay Ziva, listen carefully, you need to keep a very close eye on him. He needs very special care." Ari continued, "You will have to wrap his chest as tightly as possible, however, he has to breathe. You have to do this every twelve hours for a week. You also need bottles of water, a lot of them. This man is severely dehydrated and malnourished, so get him so food too."

A week? I can't stay here for a week, I have to get back home. I tried sitting up to say something. Instead, I just groaned. Ari shushed me. "Next, use this balm over his face and back, it will heal the bruising quicker."

Then, he turned to me, "You got very lucky. My father's men left no scars. He did leave severe bruising, some blood clots, and a couple of broken ribs. It might hurt breathing for the next couple of weeks. The tightly wrapped gauze will help the ribs set. Now, this balm is practically magic. It will heal the bruising and the clots. It will take some time for these to heal. I do not want you going back to America looking like this. Until you fully heal, you're staying here in Israel. Doctor's orders." He spoke to me in a soft voice, but I could see the hardness in his eyes. He clearly does not like his father.

"Thank you so much, Ari. I really do appreciate it." Ziva said.

Ari walked over to her, and held her shoulders. He started speaking rapid Hebrew and Ziva started to look angry. Then they started to argue, Ari let go of her, reached into his bag, pulled out a needle, and gave it to her. I was almost positive that needle was for me. I just didn't know what it did.

He walked out and that was the last I'd seen of Ari Haswari.

A couple minutes later, Ziva walked out, murmuring something about getting the supplies we needed. I think she's uncomfortable around me.

This gave me time to look around. I was in some kind of warehouse that probably stored fish, based on the smell of it. It was either the fish, or me. I tried standing up, when accomplished that feat, I started to walk around. By the looks of it, the sun was going down. I tried speaking, first I started to opening and closing my mouth. My lips were basically glued together and they were in desperate need of some Chapstick.

It was getting late and I was getting worried. Where the hell was Ziva? She should be back now, shouldn't she?

That's when the warehouse door slammed open and Ziva came staggering in holding ripped bags. "I was ambushed," she said, gasping. "There was so many of them. They were waiting for me outside of the supermarket, hoping I would lead them to you. I fought them off as best as I could then I ran." She laughed without humor. "Ziva David, Mossad's fiercest soldier, ran. I will make sure that will never happen again. I will never let anyone overpower me." When she said that, I was scared. Scared at what she was capable of.

I tried comforting her, "It's alright, you're still young, you still have a lot to learn." I knew I sounded cheesy but, what would you say to a teenage assassin?

"You don't understand! I shouldn't be making mistakes. In Mossad, if you make a mistake, you're dead. I should have known that I was being followed. I guess I thought that I hid ourselves so well, they wouldn't find me. I was mistaken."

I heard leaves rustling outside, in a flash Ziva was at my side, helping me up.

"We need to get out of here. I will have to take you to the next safe house, no matter how soon it is."

I got up, and started for the front door, Ziva pulled me down and opened the latch on the floor. A secret room, of course. She ushered me down with the groceries and told me to as quiet like a rat and to wait until she's done. Done with what? As soon as she closed the tile, I heard some scraping, I bet she was moving the couch that I was on back over it. A couple of minutes later I heard the door to the warehouse open with a bang, and a lot of footsteps over my head. There was a lot of yelling, but I couldn't make out the words. Then, there was thumping, it sounded like bodies hitting the floor. After the third thump, I started counting. When I got up to 556, Ziva opened door. "The coast is clear" she said with a sly smile. When I climbed up the ladder, I noticed five bodies on the floor. These men were twice Ziva's size and yet, she took them down. "How many men ambushed you at the supermarket?" I asked. She replied with, "50"

Behind us I heard a tsk tsk sound. I turned around and saw a fit Israeli man leaning against the wall.

"Malachi," Ziva growled. Great, so they knew each other. "I'll deal with you later, Ziva" the man said.

Out of nowhere, he appeared next to me. Why are these Israeli's so freaking fast? The mysterious man held me by my throat, "Where is Jack Taylor?"

I replied with the hardest punch I could muster. Apparently I hit him pretty hard because he fell to the floor.

"Did you see that?!" I exclaimed and Ziva nodded."Convenient but not something that I would do." she replied. I took that as a compliment.

"We should keep going before more men find us. Can you walk? Do you think you could walk a few miles? Should I carry you?" Ziva was talking so fast. I cut her off and said, "Ziva, I think I'll be fine. Can we just go?"

We walked a long distance, I estimated 10 miles. I judged it was a mile by the amount of bottles of water I drank. Finally, I seen civilization up ahead. I asked Ziva, who was silent most the trip, if that was where we were headed. She absent mindedly nodded. Ever since we left she was in a daze. I think it had something to do with that Malachi kid. He was maybe around my age, probably older.

When we got into town, Ziva stopped in front of an apartment building and went in and I followed her. We some flights of stairs and stopped in front of room 207. The apartment was pretty big. It had two bedrooms and two bathrooms. The living room and kitchen were pretty spacious. When we arrived the sun was just beginning to rise. That was when I realized how tired I was. I told Ziva that I was tired and was going to sleep.

I slept. I slept long and peacefully. Ziva only woke me up to change my gauze and reapply the balm. The this time, I hardly noticed I was in any pain. I had gotten used to it. When I woke up, it felt like I had a huge hangover. Ziva told me I was asleep for almost two days. She also said that was normal for someone who experienced the torture I experienced.

That morning she made me breakfast. Eggs and bacon. Apparently she knows, "The way Americans love their bacon."

While we were eating I asked her about Malachi.

"Malachi is my partner in Mossad, and nothing else." Ziva told me I could tell she felt something for him but I decided not to push it.

As Ari said, it did take a while for all my wounds to heal. Almost two years. After the first week, Ziva and I fell into a routine. In the morning she'd make me breakfast. Then, for the next three hours she would teach me Hebrew. Afterwards, I would learn some fighting techniques. She wouldn't teach me anything heavy because I still needed to heal. She'd make dinner and then I'd tell her about life in America. She still was like a teenager. She asked me if I met any celebrities and if they were as cute in real life as the were in the magazines. Finally, we'd go to sleep.

I never asked where she got the money to pay our bills, or the pay for food. I was to afraid of what the answer would be.

I stayed for four years. Long enough for my mother to think I actually went to college.

When I came to America, I was stronger than ever before. I spoke fluent Hebrew and made a lifelong friend.

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"And that's it." Castle said, "That's the story of how I met Ziva David."

Kate stared at him intently. Why hadn't he mentioned this before?

"I didn't think this was that important because I never knew this 'Jack Taylor' guy and they never came back for me. I assumed that they mistook me for someone else." Kate sat there, speechless. She stood up abruptly and hugged him. "I never knew you went through so much" she whispered.

At that moment Liz started crying in her room. Kate went to go soothe her and Rick followed. As she was rocking her, Kate looked up and asked, "Wait, did you say she had a baby?"


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: This chapter is pretty short. I'm really sorry! I know you guys have waited but I felt that it should end where it ended. Also, did you see the finale for NCIS? I thought it was so sad. Don't worry, another chapter is soon on the way.**

* * *

Ziva just hung up the phone with Richard. She sighed and wondered what Beckett would say when Rick told her. Ziva worried that she would say no. If Kate rejected her, she'd have nowhere to go. She was not a Mossad officer anymore. Her relationship with Mossad was strained, to say so in the least. When Ziva officially left NCIS, Mossad hadn't welcomed her with opened arms.

Now, that Ziva's in this dilemma, she has no access to their safe houses. She was clearly capable of defending herself, but when it came to little Tali, she wouldn't risk it. Tali is young, only 18 months old. She depended on her mother to protect her. That's exactly what Ziva David plans to do.

_ This is all Bodnar's fault, _Ziva thought. _He caused me enough pain while he was living. Now that he's dead, he's still inflicting my family pain. _While investing Bodnar, Ziva discovered that he was part of this extremist group named The Dominates. Apparently, they've taken interest in Ziva and would like to recruit her. When Ziva flat out refused, they sent a couple of goons to kidnap her. That happened when Ziva had been three months pregnant. They would pursue her on occasion, lately, it's been more dangerous. Just last week, while grocery shopping, Ziva witnessed her car getting blown up. That's when she decided, she needed to leave Israel. Tali needed to get out of harm's way.

Tali was the spitting image of her father. She had caramel colored hair and hazel eyes. Tali acted like him too. She was outgoing and could never stop talking. She was also aware of everything, just like her mother. Even though Tali was young, she was so mature for her age. Already, she is learning both Hebrew and English. When Tali was born, Ziva figured she might never meet her father, probably because he didn't know of her existence. Tali was the reason Ziva left NCIS, not because of Bodnar.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ziva sighed and looked down. According to the box, she had to wait five minutes for a sign to appear. It's been a couple of days since Tony found her in Israel, that night was magical. Now, she felt the aftermath. During the morning, she'd feel queasy and run to the bathroom. Tony just thought that she had a bad case of food poisoning, but Ziva knew better. She became more sensitive to the smells around her. It was yesterday when Ziva decided to get a pregnancy test. She went to an Israeli drugstore. When she couldn't find what she was looking for, she asked a clerk, he gave her a weird look. Like he was judging her, she didn't like. Ziva just bought the test and rushed home. She was relieved to find Tony gone. As Ziva counted down the minutes, she looked down. There it was. A pale pink plus sign. Ziva sucked in a breath, deep down, she knew that it was true. Ziva David was pregnant with Anthony DiNozzo Jr.'s baby and she had no idea how to tell him.

She carefully hid the box and the stick, somewhere where Tony would never look. She hid them behind her tampons. _Something I wouldn't be needing for a while_, Ziva thought. She found Tony on the phone, most likely talking to McGee or Gibbs in Washington. She couldn't hear what he was saying, but she savored the moment. The way the sun made his hair, the gleam in his eye, his relaxed state. He looked so happy and Ziva knew she was going to take that happiness away. That why she has this moment etched into memory.

When Tony finished his conversation and hung up, he turned and looked at her. He didn't say a word, he just came up and hugged her. While in his embrace, Ziva murmured, "You have to go back to Washington."

"I know, we'll leave soon, or now. Whatever you want." Tony started

"No. You have to go back to work, back to Washington, your life. I need to stay here, I can't leave." As the words were tumbling out of Ziva's mouth she immediately regretted them. But what's done is done, she couldn't do anything about it. This had to be done, even if both their hearts would break in the process.

"Ziva, what are you talking about? I thought we would go back, together." Tony said.

"No, Tony. I can't go back, you wouldn't understand," Ziva hated lying to Tony. "I've made arrangements for a friend to fly you back to Washington tomorrow, so get packing." He looked so heartbroken. She just turned around and went outside, she didn't come back until the next morning. When she walked in, she saw Tony's bags by the door. _Good, he's already packed._ Ziva thought. She smelled eggs in the kitchen and her stomach rumbled. _Now, I'm eating for two._ She went to the kitchen and sat down. Tony didn't even look at her as he filled her plate. They ate in an uncomfortable silence. Tony finished and stood up, "I guess I should start leaving now, shouldn't I?"

"I'll drive you, the airfield is pretty far," Ziva said.  
"It's all right, I got it. I would want to inconvenience you in any way." If his remark was meant to make her feel bad, than it hit it's mark.  
"Please, I insist" Ziva said cooly.  
The ride was quiet and uneventful. By the time they got to the airfield, it was dark and the plane was waiting for them.

When Ziva stopped the car, she was holding back tears, she really did not want him to go. When he got his bag, she needed to say something.  
"Tony you are so-" Ziva started

"Handsome? Funny?" Tony interrupts

"Loved," she finished

He looked confused but more relieved. That was when they shared a passionate, bittersweet kiss. Once it was over, Tony remarked, "This is not easy, one of the hardest 180s of my life."

Then, Tony boarded the plane

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ziva's phone rang, after the first ring, she answered. It was Rick. "She said yes. I booked your flight for tomorrow night, I hoped your packed." Ziva felt hope bloom inside her. "Thank so much Rick. You have no idea how grateful I am. We won't cause trouble, I promise. I am forever in your debt." Ziva was talking fast, what usually happens when she's nervous. Rick laughed, "Let's just say, I owe you one. But," he paused, "We're going to have some questions."


End file.
